Straw-holder.



PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907.

H, G. MAYBS. STRAW HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED APB.26,1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W YWESSES:

A TTORNE VS No. 844.381. PATENTED FEB. 19, 1907.

' H. U. MAYES.

STRAW HOLDER.

APPLIOATION FILED APB.26,1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I r I a m I TTORNE V5 rn: mnuus PKTIRI cuq'vllsumawn, o. c.

HARRY CORNELIUS MAYES, OF CLEARFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA.

STRAW-HOLDEH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1907.

Application filed April 26, 1908. Serial No. 313,892-

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY (1. Mature, a citizen of the United States, residing at Olearfield, in the county of Glearfield and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Straw-Holder, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This inventionrelates to machines for dispensin straws such as usedat soda-fountains, c.

The object of the invention is to provide a device which will hold a large number of straws where they will be protected from dust and insects and where they cannot be handled by customers.

Another object is to provide means whereby the straws may be removed one at a time without injury thereto merely by the actuation of simple mechanism provided for that purpose.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character which is of an attractive appearance, which occupies a comparatively small space, and which is of inexpensive construction.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of a casing having a compartment therein of suil'icient size to hold a number of straws, the bottom of said compartment having an elongated opening under which extends a slide adapted to engage straws one at a time. Mechanism is provided whereby this slide can be actuated to convey the engaged straw outward and deposit it upon a receiver, from which it can be removed by the user.

The invention also consists of certain other novel features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be herein after more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of the invention.

In said drawin s, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the mac inc. Fig. 2 is a section therethrou h taken from front to rear. Fig. 3 is a detai view showing one end of the slide and the mechanism for actuating it, and Fig. 4 is sin enlarged section through the toothed sector and the toothed plate meshing therewith.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 is a base 11 )on which is disposed a casing 2, the front we 1 of which terminates at a polnt above the base to form an openin through which the actuating mechanism 0 ameter of a straw and connected at their V ends by end strips 7.

The space 8, formed between the strips 5 and 6, is slightly longer than the straws to be used. Each of the end strips 7 has teeth 9 thereon adapted to on age a toothed sec tor 10, which is mountcr to rotate on a rod 11, extending longitudinally under the strips 5 and 6 and having a lever 12 extending therefrom and under and beyond the lower edge of the front wall of the casing. A

he] the lever 12 normally raised and the slide A normally pressed backward against the rear wall of the casing. A finger-bar 14 connects the ends of the levers 12 and isparallel with the front of the casing, and arranged in rear of this bar is a series of fingers 15, which are secured on the non-rotatable rod 11 and are inclined upward from said rod to points close to the front edge of the supporting-plate 4 and then curved downward to form a chute for directing discharged straws outward from the front of the machine. The up ermost ortions of these fingers are prefers. ly over apped by an inclined guide-plate 16, which extends from the front edge of the supporting-plate and serves to direct straws onto the fingers. A compartment B is formed within the casing above the bottom sections 3 and is of sufficient size to receive one or more bundles of straws, and a cover 17 is arranged on the casing, so as to prevent the user of a straw from replacing it within the casing.

In using this device a suitable number of straws are placed within the com artment B, and one of them will roll and fall by gravity into the space 8. The cover 17 is then placed on the casing and the device is ready for use. If a person desires to remove a straw from the casing, the finger-bar 14 is depressed and will cause the sectors 10 to rotate on the rod 1], and as the teeth 9 on the end strips 8 are en aged by these sectors the entire slide A will 6 moved forward on the weight 13 is connected to the sector, so as to plate 4 until the space 8 is moved beyond the end of said plate, whereupon the straw will drop by gravity onto the guide-plate 16 and be directed thereby onto the lingers 1.5. These fingers by reason of their peculiar eontour will hold the straw until its removal by the user, WVhilc the parts are in this position the rear strips 6 of the slide will close the space between the bottom sections 3, ani it will be impossible for any of the straws to become displaced. hen the linger-bar 14 has been released after the removal of a straw, the weight 13 will return all of the parts to their normal positions, an]! when the space S arrives between the two bottom sections 3 another straw will drop thereinto, and the machine will therefore be recharged and will be ready for the repetition of the above-described operation. If desired, a glass plate 1h may be placed in the front of the casing, so that the amount and nature of the contents of the device can be quickly determined.

A device such as herein described will be found very desirable because of its sanitary features, inasmuch as the straws are fully protected at all times from dust, flies, &c.. cannot be handled by customers, and cannot be replaced in the casing after they have been used.

hat is claimed is l. A device of the character described comprising a receptacle having an outlet, means for withdrawing articles successively from the receptacle, :1 non-rotatable rod disposed adjacent said. means, lingers secured to and supported b y said rod to receive articles from the withdrawing means, means movably mounted upon the rod for engaging and actu ating the withdrawing means, and a deprcssible device extending beyond the lingers and movable with said actuating means.

2. The combination with a receptacle having an outlet; of means for with rawing articles successively from the outlet, a partly-rm tatable device for engaging and actuating the withdrawing means, deprcssible means for actuating said device, and receiving-lingers surrounded by said dcprcssible means and immovably supported below the withdrawing means.

3. The combination with a receptacle having an outlet, and means for successively withdrawing articles from the outlet; of

partly-rotatable gravity-controlled means engaging and adapted to actuate the withdrawing means, reccivingfingers supported below and adapted to receive articles from the withdrawing means, and a depressible actuating device disposed adjacent the lingers and connected to said device.

4. The crnnbination with a casing having a compartment therein provided with an outlot; of a support below the outlet, a slide mounted thereon and having an opening thercthrough, the bottom of said opening be ing normally closed by the support, fingers disposed below and projecting beyond the support, a toothed sector rotatably mounted adjacent and. engaging the slide, a weight upon. the sector, an arm extending therethrough and. beyond the casing.

5. The combination with a casing having a con'ipartment therein provided with an outlet; of a support below the outlet, a slide mounted thereon and having an opening thcrethrough, the bottom of said opening be ing normally closed by the support, fingers disposed below and projecting beyond the support, teeth depending from the slide, a toothed sector engaging the teeth and rotatably mounted HITJQCGIIU the slide, an arm extending from the sector, a finger-bar upon the arm, and means operated by gravity for holding the sector and its connections normally in a predetermined position 6. The combination with a casing having a compartlnent therein provided with an outlet; of a supportingplate extending under the outlet, parallel strips mounted on said plate and spaced apart, end strips connecting the parallel. strips, all of said strips constituting a slide and one of the end strips having teeth thereon, a rod disposed beneath the supporting-plate, a toothed sector engaging the teeth on the end strip, said sector having a weight thereon, an arm extending from the sector, a linger-bar upon the arm and in front of: the casing, and receiving-fingers mounted upon the rod and extending beyond the sup porting-plate In testimony that 1 claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY CORNELIUS MATES.

Witnesses Tnos. A. Marne, M. G. POTTSGROVE. 

